JP2004055760A - Method of detecting fault in substrate treatment and treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect a fault in wafer treatment including silylation treatment at an early stage. <P>SOLUTION: The components contained in the exhaust gas discharged from a silylation system, when the system performs silylation treatment is made to be analyzed by collecting the exhaust gas, by attaching a branch pipe connected to an analyzer to the exhaust pipe of the system. In the middle of silylation treatment, the exhaust gas is taken in the analyzer and the content of a silicon-based compound which is contained in the exhaust gas only slightly, when the silylation treatment is performed normally is measured. Then the measured value R of the content is compared with a preset threshold H and, when the measured value R is higher than the threshold H, it is decided that "a fault exists" and; when the value R is lower than the threshold H, it is decided that "no fault exists". When, "a fault exists" is the decision, the set duration of heating operation performed, before a silylating gas is supplied, is prolonged. Consequently, the nonconformity is eliminated, because, when the fault is caused by water adhering to a wafer, and the water is removed from the wafer, before the silylation treatment is started. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for detecting a defect in substrate processing and a substrate processing apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a semiconductor device manufacturing process, for example, a resist coating process for applying a resist solution on a wafer to form a resist film, a heating process for evaporating a solvent in the resist film, an exposure process for exposing a predetermined pattern on the resist film, A series of processes, such as heat treatment for accelerating the chemical reaction of the resist film after exposure, silylation treatment for silylating the resist film, development treatment for dry developing the silylated wafer, and etching treatment for selectively etching the resist film Wafer processing is performed continuously.
[0003]
The silylation processing is performed by introducing a silylation gas containing a silylation agent into a processing chamber into which a wafer is carried in the silylation processing apparatus, and reacting the silylation agent with the resist film. The reaction between the silylating agent and the resist film in this manner turns the resist film into a silicon-containing film, and enhances the etching resistance of the resist film. By this silylation treatment, the resist film can be made thinner, and as a result, the circuit pattern finally formed on the wafer can be made finer.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Incidentally, since the actual etching resistance of a resist film can be evaluated only after the resist film is actually etched, whether or not the silylation process has been properly performed has been conventionally recognized for the first time after the etching process. Was. For this reason, for example, even if a failure occurs in the silylation process, it takes a considerable amount of time to detect the failure, and during that time, a large number of wafers have been processed. As a result, a large number of defective wafers are manufactured, which causes a reduction in yield. On the other hand, if the wafer is subjected to the etching treatment, the resist film on the wafer is peeled and cleaned and cannot be reused. Therefore, if a defect in the silylation process is not detected before the defective wafer is etched, the defective wafer cannot be reused, which increases the material cost of the wafer.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for early detecting a defect in substrate processing including silylation processing and a processing apparatus capable of realizing the method.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting a defect in a substrate processing having a silylation treatment of a substrate, comprising the steps of: measuring a content of a silicon-based compound in a gas generated from the substrate during the silylation treatment. Comparing the measured content of the silicon-based compound with a predetermined threshold of the content of the silicon-based compound. You.
[0007]
In the silylation treatment, the silylating agent supplied on the substrate reacts chemically with the film on the substrate, and silicon contained in the silylating agent is taken into the film. Therefore, if the silylation process is properly performed, the content of the silicon-based compound in the gas generated from the substrate will not exceed a predetermined threshold. As in the present invention, the content of a silicon-based compound in a gas generated from a substrate is measured, and the content is compared with a threshold value. A defect can be detected. As described above, defects in substrate processing can be detected at an early stage in the silylation process, so that a large number of defective substrates can be prevented. In addition, since a defect is found before the substrate is subjected to the etching process, the substrate can be reused, for example, by peeling off the film on the substrate. The “substrate processing” includes not only the silylation processing but also the processing before the silylation processing.
[0008]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting a defect in a substrate processing having a silylation treatment of a substrate, wherein a content of a predetermined component other than a silicon-based compound in a gas generated from the substrate during the silylation treatment is determined. A method for detecting a defect in substrate processing, comprising: a step of measuring; and a step of comparing a measured content of the predetermined component with a predetermined threshold value of the content of the predetermined component. Is provided.
[0009]
If the content of the silicon-based compound in the gas increases, the content of the gas component other than the silicon-based compound decreases, so that the content of the predetermined component other than the silicon-based compound depends on the content of the silicon-based compound. . Therefore, as in the present invention, the failure of the substrate processing can also be detected by measuring the content of a predetermined component other than the silicon-based compound and comparing the measured value with a predetermined threshold value. The predetermined component may be an amine compound. If the silylating agent supplied to the substrate during the silylation treatment contains amine-based molecules, the amine-based compound is generated from the substrate during the silylation treatment. By measuring the content of the amine-based compound, Failure of substrate processing can be detected.
[0010]
The method for detecting a defect in the substrate processing may include a step of changing a processing condition of the substrate processing based on a comparison result between the measured content rate and a threshold value. In such a case, the processing conditions can be changed according to the defect detected during the silylation process, so that the defect can be eliminated at an early stage.
[0011]
The silylation process may include a heating step of heating the substrate before supplying the silylation gas to the substrate, and the processing condition to be changed may be a heating time of the heating step. If moisture adheres to the substrate during the silylation treatment, the silylating agent reacts with the moisture, and the silylation reaction is not properly performed only in that portion, resulting in a problem. By extending the heating time before the supply of the silylation gas as in the present invention, the removal of the water before the silylation is more reliably performed, and the problem caused by the adhesion of the water can be solved.
[0012]
The silylation process includes a decompression step of maintaining the substrate in a decompression atmosphere before supplying the silylation gas to the substrate, and the processing condition to be changed may be a decompression pressure during the decompression step. . In such a case as well, if the water removal before the silylation treatment is insufficient, the reduced pressure is further reduced to more reliably evaporate the moisture adhered to the substrate, and the problem caused by the moisture adhesion can be solved. .
[0013]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a silylation processing chamber for silylating a substrate; and a gas for collecting gas generated from the substrate being processed in the silylation processing chamber. A pipe, a measuring device for measuring the content of the predetermined component in the gas collected by the pipe, and comparing the measured content of the predetermined component with a preset threshold of the content of the predetermined component. And a comparing unit.
[0014]
According to this processing apparatus, the content of the predetermined component in the gas generated from the substrate during the silylation process can be measured, and the content of the predetermined component can be compared with the threshold. Therefore, it is possible to detect a defect in the substrate processing based on the comparison between the content ratio and the threshold value as in the method for detecting a defect in the substrate processing described above. For example, when the content of the silicon-based compound exceeds the threshold value, it means that silicon is exhausted without being taken into the film, so that a defect in substrate processing can be detected. Therefore, a defect in the substrate processing can be detected before the etching process, and the defect can be dealt with at an early stage, so that the number of defective substrates can be reduced. In addition, since a defect of the substrate is found before the etching process, the substrate can be reused, for example, by peeling a film or the like from the substrate.
[0015]
The processing apparatus may include a processing condition change control unit that changes a processing condition of the substrate based on a comparison result of the comparison unit. By this processing condition change control unit, the processing conditions of the substrate can be changed, and the problem of the substrate processing can be eliminated at an early stage.
[0016]
The processing condition change control unit may change the processing condition of the substrate when the content of the silicon-based compound in the gas is higher than a threshold value. As described above, when the content of the silicon-based compound is high, the silylation reaction is not properly performed, and there is a problem in the substrate processing. In such a case, the problem can be solved by changing the processing conditions.
[0017]
Further, the processing condition change control unit may change the processing condition of the substrate when the content of a predetermined component other than the silicon-based compound in the gas is lower than a threshold value. As described above, when the content of the silicon-based compound increases, the content of other gas components decreases. Therefore, when the content of the predetermined component other than the silicon-based compound is lower than the threshold value, there is a problem in the processing, and in such a case, the problem can be solved by changing the processing conditions. The predetermined component other than the silicon-based compound may be an amine-based compound.
[0018]
The processing condition change control unit may be capable of changing a heating time of the heating of the substrate performed before the silylation gas is supplied to the substrate, or may be configured to change the heating time of the silylation performed before the silylation gas is supplied to the substrate. The decompression pressure of the decompression chamber may be changed. As described above, when the problem of the silylation process is caused by the adhesion of moisture to the substrate, the heating time and the reduced pressure are changed so that the moisture can be more reliably before the silylation gas is supplied as in the present invention. And the problem of substrate processing can be eliminated.
[0019]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a coating and developing apparatus 1 as a processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing apparatus 1, and FIG. It is a rear view.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 1, the coating and developing apparatus 1 carries, for example, 25 wafers W into and out of the coating and developing apparatus 1 in units of cassettes, and carries in and out of the cassette C wafers. A station 2, a processing station 3 in which various processing apparatuses for performing predetermined processing in a single-wafer manner in a coating and developing processing step are arranged in multiple stages, and an exposure apparatus 4 provided adjacent to the processing station 3. And an interface unit 5 for transferring the wafer W between the two.
[0021]
In the cassette station 2, a plurality of cassettes C can be placed in a row in the X direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) at predetermined positions on a cassette mounting table 6 serving as a mounting portion. Then, a wafer transfer device 7 capable of transferring the wafers W accommodated in the cassette C in the cassette arrangement direction (X direction) and the wafer arrangement direction (Z direction; vertical direction) is movable along the transfer path 8. Provided so that each cassette C can be selectively accessed.
[0022]
The wafer transfer device 7 has an alignment function for positioning the wafer W. The wafer transfer device 7 is configured to be able to access the adhesion device 31 and the extension device 32 belonging to the third processing device group G3 on the processing station 3 side as described later.
[0023]
In the processing station 3, a main transfer device 13 is provided at the center thereof, and various processing devices are arranged in multiple stages around the main transfer device 13 to constitute a processing device group. In this coating and developing processing apparatus 1, four processing apparatus groups G1, G2, G3 and G4 are arranged, and the first and second processing apparatus groups G1 and G2 are arranged on the front side of the coating and developing processing apparatus 1. The third processing unit group G3 is disposed adjacent to the cassette station 2, and the fourth processing unit group G4 is disposed adjacent to the interface unit 5. Further, a fifth processing unit group G5 shown by a broken line as an option can be separately arranged on the back side. The main transfer device 13 is capable of loading and unloading wafers W from and to various processing devices described below arranged in the processing device groups G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5. The number and arrangement of the processing device groups differ depending on the type of processing performed on the wafer W, and can be arbitrarily selected.
[0024]
In the first processing apparatus group G1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a resist coating apparatus 15 for applying a resist liquid to the wafer W to form a resist film on the wafer W, and a developing processing for dry developing the wafer W after exposure. The devices 16 are arranged in two stages from the bottom. Similarly, in the case of the second processing unit group G2, the resist coating unit 17 and the developing unit 18 are stacked in two stages from the bottom in the same manner.
[0025]
In the third processing unit group G3, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a cooling device 30 for cooling the wafer W, an adhesion device 31 for improving the fixability between the resist solution and the wafer W, and a delivery of the wafer W The extension device 32, pre-baking devices 33 and 34 for performing a heating process after resist application, and a post-baking device 35 for performing a heating process after a developing process are stacked in, for example, six stages from the bottom.
[0026]
In the fourth processing unit group G4, for example, a cooling device 40, an extension cooling device 41 for naturally cooling the mounted wafer W, an extension device 42, a silylation processing device 43 for performing a silylation process on the wafer W, and heating after exposure Post-exposure baking devices 44 and 45 and a post-baking device 46 for performing processing are stacked, for example, in seven stages from the bottom.
[0027]
In the center of the interface unit 5, for example, a wafer transfer device 70 is provided as shown in FIG. The wafer transfer device 70 is configured to be able to freely move in the X direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1), the Z direction (vertical direction), and rotate in the θ direction (rotation direction about the Z axis). , The extension cooling device 41, the extension device 42, the peripheral exposure device 71, and the exposure device 4 belonging to the fourth processing device group G4, and the wafer W can be transferred to each of them. .
[0028]
Next, the configuration of the silylation processing device 43 will be described in detail. The silylation processing device 43 is surrounded by a casing 43a, for example, as shown in FIG. Inside the casing 43a, a cover 130 of the silylation processing chamber K is provided on the upper side, and an inner case 131 is provided on the lower side.
[0029]
The cover 130 has, for example, a thick disk shape, and an exhaust port 132 is opened on the upper surface at the center of the cover 130, and an exhaust pipe 133 is connected to the exhaust port 132. The exhaust pipe 133 communicates with a pump 134 that is a negative pressure generating means. The exhaust pipe 133 is provided with a damper 135. By changing the opening / closing rate of the damper 135, the exhaust pressure from the exhaust port 132 can be changed or the exhaust can be stopped. When the silylation processing chamber K is closed, the pressure of the silylation processing chamber K can be reduced by changing the opening / closing rate of the damper 135 because the pressure of the silylation processing chamber K can be reduced by exhaustion from the exhaust port 132. Can also be changed. The silylation processing chamber K is defined by the cover 130, a hot plate 142 and a shielding plate 153 described later.
[0030]
The lower surface of the cover 130 is formed with an inclined surface that gradually widens downward from the central exhaust port 132, and the exhaust pressure concentrated on the exhaust port 132 is dispersed as the distance from the exhaust port 132 increases. Therefore, the atmosphere in the silylation processing chamber K can be exhausted uniformly. The cover 130 can be moved up and down by a lifting mechanism (not shown).
[0031]
On the other hand, the inner case 131 has, for example, a substantially box shape, and its upper surface is covered with a horizontal plate 140. A circular opening 141 is opened at the center of the horizontal plate 140, and the opening 141 accommodates the hot plate 142.
[0032]
The hot plate 142 is formed in a substantially disk shape with a thickness, and the wafer W can be placed on the hot plate 142 horizontally. Inside the heating plate 142, for example, a heater 143 that generates heat by power supply is incorporated. Therefore, the temperature of the hot plate 142 can be increased by the heater 143, and the wafer W on the hot plate 142 can be heated by the heated hot plate 142.
[0033]
Further, inside the heating plate 142, for example, three through holes 146 are formed. Lift pins 147 that support the back surface of the wafer W and move up and down are inserted into the respective through holes 146. The lift pin 147 can be moved up and down by an elevating mechanism 148 having a cylinder or the like, for example. Therefore, the lift pins 147 can protrude above the hot plate 142, and can place the supporting wafer W on the hot plate 142 or lift the wafer W on the hot plate 142. As a result, the lift pins 147 can start heating the wafer W by placing the wafer W on the heated hot plate 142, and can end the heating by lifting the wafer W and separating it from the hot plate 142. .
[0034]
The hot plate 142 has, for example, an outer peripheral portion of the hot plate 142 supported by an annular support ring 149. On the support ring 149, a gas supply ring 150 for supplying a silylation gas containing a silylation agent is provided. The gas supply ring 150 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is installed so as to surround the outside of the wafer W on the hot plate 142. On the inner surface of the gas supply ring 150, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of gas supply ports 151 are uniformly provided without bias. The gas supply port 151 is connected to a gas supply pipe 152 communicating with a gas supply source (not shown). With such a configuration, the silylation gas can be ejected from the outer peripheral direction of the wafer W on the hot plate 142 as shown in FIG.
[0035]
Outside the gas supply ring 150, a ring-shaped shielding plate 153 for opening and closing the silylation processing chamber K is provided. The shielding plate 153 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape whose upper and lower surfaces are open. In the inner case 131, a vertical drive unit 154 including a cylinder and the like for vertically moving the shielding plate 153 is provided. With this vertical drive unit 154, the shielding plate 153 can be raised, and the upper end of the shielding plate 153 can be brought into contact with the lower surface of the cover 130. By this contact, a closed silylation chamber K surrounded by the cover 130, the shielding plate 153, and the hot plate 142 can be formed. Further, the shield plate 153 is lowered by the vertical drive unit 154, so that a transfer path of the wafer W onto the hot plate 142 can be secured between the cover 130 and the shield plate 153.
[0036]
For example, a transfer port 160 is provided on a side surface of the casing 43a, and a shutter 161 is attached to the transfer port 160. Therefore, the inside of the casing 43a can be closed.
[0037]
The operation of each member in the silylation processing device 43, such as the opening / closing ratio of the damper 135, the lifting / lowering of the lift pins 147, and the amount of power supply to the heater 143 of the hot plate 142, is performed by the processing control unit D1 as a processing condition change control unit. Is controlled by In the processing control unit D1, processing conditions such as, for example, reduced pressure, heating time, and heating temperature of the silylation processing chamber K are set. The processing control unit D1 adjusts the opening / closing rate of the damper 135 in accordance with these settings. By controlling, the reduced pressure of the silylation processing chamber K can be controlled. Further, the processing control unit D1 can control the heating time of the wafer W by controlling the timing of lifting and lowering the lift pins 147, and can further control the heating temperature of the wafer W by controlling the amount of power supplied to the heater 143.
[0038]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, a branch pipe 170 branches off from the exhaust pipe 133, and the branch pipe 170 is connected to an analyzer 171 as an exhaust component measuring device. The analyzer 171 is a device for measuring the content of a predetermined component in the exhaust gas taken in. That is, the analyzer 171 can analyze the gas generated from the wafer W during the silylation process and measure the content of the predetermined component therein. For example, a mass analyzer such as an APIMS (atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer) and a QMS (quadrupole mass spectrometer) is used as the analyzer 171. A switching damper 172 is provided at a branch portion of the branch pipe 170. By switching the switching damper 172, exhaust gas from the silylation processing chamber K can be taken into the analyzer 171. The switching of the switching damper 172 is controlled, for example, by the processing control unit D1, and the exhaust from the silylation processing chamber K can be taken into the analyzer 171 at a predetermined timing by appropriately switching the switching damper 172. . In the present embodiment, the exhaust pipe 133 and the branch pipe 170 constitute a pipe for collecting gas.
[0039]
The analysis result of the analyzer 171 can be output to, for example, a main control unit D2 as a comparison unit. In the main control unit D2, a threshold value H of the content rate of the silicon-based compound that is allowed to be contained in the gas generated from the wafer W during the silylation process is set. This threshold value H is obtained in advance by an experiment or the like, for example. The main control unit D2 can compare the measured value R of the silicon-based compound content measured by the analyzer 171 with the threshold value H. When the measured value R exceeds the threshold value H, the main control unit D2 can output a setting change instruction for changing the setting of the processing condition of the processing control unit D1. For example, a setting change command such as a set pressure reduction, a set heating time, and a set heating temperature of the processing control unit D1 can be output. The processing control unit D1 can change various settings according to the setting change command.
[0040]
Next, a series of wafer processing performed by the coating and developing processing apparatus 1 including the silylation processing apparatus 43 configured as described above will be described. First, one unprocessed wafer W is taken out of the cassette C by the wafer transfer device 7 and transferred to the extension device 32 belonging to the third processing device group G3. Next, the wafer W is carried into the adhesion device 31 by the main transfer device 13, and HMDS, for example, is applied on the wafer W to improve the adhesiveness of the resist solution. Next, the wafer W is transferred to the cooling device 30, cooled to a predetermined temperature, and then transferred to the resist coating device 17. In the resist coating device 17, a resist solution is supplied to the wafer W, and a lower resist film is formed on the wafer W. Thereafter, the wafer W is sequentially transferred to the pre-baking device 33 and the cooling device 42, and is again transferred to the resist coating device 17. Then, in the resist coating device 17, for example, a resist liquid containing, for example, a polyvinyl phenol resin as a main component is supplied, and an upper resist film to be silylated later is formed.
[0041]
Subsequently, the wafer W is sequentially transferred to the pre-baking device 34 and the extension / cooling device 41 by the main transfer device 13, and further transferred to the peripheral exposure device 71 by the wafer transfer device 70, where each device is subjected to a predetermined process. You. Next, the wafer W is transported to the exposure device 4, and a predetermined circuit pattern is exposed on the wafer W by light irradiation. The wafer W that has been subjected to the exposure processing is transferred to the extension device 42 by the wafer transfer device 70, and then the wafer W is transferred to the post-exposure baking device 44 and the cooling device 40 by the main transfer device 13 in order to perform predetermined processing. After being applied, it is transported to the silylation processing device 43.
[0042]
In the silylation processing apparatus 43, first, the wafer W is carried in from between the cover 130 and the shielding plate 153, and is transferred to the lift pins 147 which have been raised and waited in advance. When the wafer W is transferred to the lift pins 147, for example, the shielding plate 153 is raised, the cover 130 is lowered, and the upper end of the shielding plate 153 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the cover 130. Thus, a sealed silylation processing chamber K is formed. Next, the pump 134 is operated, the damper 135 is opened, and the exhaust from the exhaust port 132 is started. Subsequently, the lift pins 147 are lowered, the wafer W is placed on the hot plate 142, and the heating of the wafer W is started. At this time, the hot plate 142 is maintained at a temperature at which water adhering to the upper resist film can be evaporated without adversely affecting the resist film, for example, 0 to 50 ° C. As described above, even before the silylation gas is introduced, the wafer W is heated, and the moisture attached to the wafer W is removed.
[0043]
When a predetermined set heating time has elapsed, for example, the lift pin 147 is once raised, and the heating before the introduction of the silylation gas is completed. Next, the pressure in the silylation processing chamber K is reduced by the exhaust from the exhaust port 132. When the pressure in the silylation processing chamber K is reduced, a silylation gas is introduced from each gas supply port 151 of the gas supply ring 150, and a silicon-based compound as a silylation agent, for example, dimethylsilanedimethylamine, is supplied to the wafer W. You. Then, when the inside of the silylation processing chamber K is filled with the silylation gas, the lift pins 147 are lowered again, and the wafer W is placed on the hot plate 142. Thus, the wafer W is heated again. Note that the wafer W may be continuously heated without raising the wafer W when the silylation gas is introduced.
[0044]
When the silylation gas contacts the heated wafer W, the upper resist film on the wafer W is silylated. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the polyvinylphenol resin constituting the resist film reacts with dimethylsilanedimethylamine as a silylating agent, and silicon is incorporated into the resist film. After the reaction, dimethylamine is released. During this time, the exhaust from the exhaust port 132 is continuously performed.
[0045]
After the wafer W is exposed to the atmosphere of the silylation gas for a predetermined time, the wafer W is lifted onto the hot plate 142 by the lift pins 147. Thus, the heating of the wafer W ends, and the silylation process of the wafer W ends. Thereafter, the cover 130 is raised, the shielding plate 153 is lowered, and the silylation processing chamber K is opened. When the silylation processing chamber K is opened, the wafer W is transferred from the lift pins 147 to the main transfer device 13, and the wafer W is unloaded from the silylation processing device 43.
[0046]
The wafer W having undergone the silylation process is sequentially transported by the main transport device 13 to, for example, the developing device 18, the post-baking device 46, and the cooling device 40, where a predetermined process is performed in each device. Then, the wafer is returned to the cassette C, and a series of wafer processing ends. In the coating and developing apparatus 1, a plurality of wafers W are continuously processed, and the above-described series of processing is performed on each wafer W.
[0047]
By the way, in the silylation processing device 43, for example, a defect in wafer processing is detected for each wafer W. FIG. 7 is a process flow diagram of such a failure detection.
[0048]
First, after the introduction of the silylation gas, for example, while the resist film is being silylated, the switching damper 172 is switched, and the exhaust generated from the wafer W is analyzed through the exhaust pipe 133 and the branch pipe 170. It is taken into the device 171 (S1). The analyzer 171 analyzes the components of the exhaust gas taken in (S2), and measures the content of a silicon-based compound, for example, dimethylsilanol. This dimethylsilanol is a component generated when dimethylsilanedimethylamine, which is a silylating agent, and water react as shown in FIG. In other words, if a large amount of dimethylsilanol is present in the exhaust gas, it means that the silylating agent reacts with water adhering to the wafer W during the silylation process, and the silylation process was not properly performed.
[0049]
The measurement result in the analyzer 171 is output to the main controller D2. The main control unit D2 compares the output measured value R of dimethylsilanol with its threshold value H (S3). When the measured value R is higher than the threshold value H, it is determined that there is a defect (S4a), and when the measured value R is lower than the threshold value H, it is determined that there is no defect. (S4b).
[0050]
When it is determined that "there is a defect", a setting change instruction is output from the main control unit D2 to the process control unit D1, and for example, before the silylation gas is introduced, in order to more reliably remove water before the silylation process. Is changed to a longer time (S5). Then, heating is performed for a new set heating time from the silylation processing of the next wafer W.
[0051]
According to the above embodiment, the exhaust device generated from the wafer W during the silylation process is analyzed by the analyzer 171 communicating with the silylation processing chamber K, and silicon generated when the silylation reaction is not normally performed. The content of the system compound can be measured. Then, by comparing the measured value R of the content of the silicon-based compound with the threshold value H, a defect in the wafer processing can be detected. Therefore, even after the wafer W has not been etched, a defect in the wafer processing can be detected, and the number of defective wafers can be reduced accordingly. In addition, since the wafer is determined to be defective before the etching process is performed, the wafer W can be reused by, for example, peeling and cleaning the resist film of the wafer W.
[0052]
When a defect is detected, a setting change command is output from the main control unit D2 to the processing control unit D1, and the setting of the processing condition is immediately changed, so that the defect is eliminated at an early stage and the wafer processing is optimized. can do. In the above-described embodiment, the set heating time before the supply of the silylation gas is increased, so that the problem caused by moisture adhering to the wafer W during the silylation process can be solved.
[0053]
The setting of the heating temperature at the time of heating before the supply of the silylation gas may be changed instead of the heating time. Even in such a case, moisture attached to the wafer W can be reliably removed before the supply of the silylation gas, and the problem can be solved.
[0054]
Further, in the above embodiment, the water is removed by heating the wafer W before the supply of the silylation gas. Alternatively, or in addition to this, the silylation processing chamber K may be provided before the supply of the silylation gas. The inside may be reduced to a predetermined set reduced pressure to remove water. If a problem occurs due to insufficient removal of water, the setting of the reduced pressure may be changed. In such a case, for example, before the introduction of the silylation gas, the pressure in the silylation processing chamber K is reduced to a set reduced pressure, for example, 50 Pa by exhaustion from the exhaust port 132. Then, when a failure is detected as described above, the set reduced pressure is reduced. By doing so, it is possible to reliably remove the moisture attached to the wafer W before the silylation gas is supplied, and the problem is solved.
[0055]
The processing condition to be changed is not limited to the above example, and another processing condition according to the cause of the defect may be changed. For example, other processing conditions in the silylation process, for example, the amount of the silylating agent introduced, and the like may be changed. Further, the processing conditions of other processing performed before the silylation processing may be changed. This is because even if the silylation reaction is not properly performed, the cause may be due to a process prior to the silylation process.
[0056]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the timing of measuring the exhaust gas component is not limited to the above example, and may be always performed during the silylation process, or may be performed in synchronization with the exhaust of the silylation processing chamber K. Further, the defect detection process does not necessarily need to be performed for each wafer, but may be performed for each lot or each time a predetermined number of wafers W are processed.
[0057]
In the above embodiment, the failure is determined based on the content of the silicon-based compound in the exhaust gas, but may be determined based on the content of a predetermined exhaust component other than the silicon-based compound. This is because the content of exhaust components other than silicon-based compounds depends on the content of silicon-based compounds, and as the content of silicon-based compounds increases, the content of exhaust components other than silicon-based compounds decreases accordingly. For. Therefore, in the case of the above example as shown in FIG. 8, for example, the content of dimethylsilanol is measured by the analyzer 171. Then, the measurement result is output to the main control unit D2, and the measured value of the dimethylsilanol content is compared with a preset threshold value. For example, when the measured value falls below the threshold value, it is determined that there is a defect, and when it exceeds the threshold value, it is determined that there is no defect. Even in such a case, a defect in the silylation process can be detected at an early stage, so that defective wafers can be reduced. In addition, a defective wafer can be reused.
[0058]
Although an example of the embodiment of the present invention has been described, the present invention is not limited to this example, and can take various aspects. For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the case where the film material of the resist film is a polyvinylphenol resin, but the present invention is also applicable to the case where the film material of the resist film is another film material such as a novolak resin. it can. In addition, the silylating agent is not limited to dimethylsilanedimethylamine, and the present invention relates to the case where the silylating agent is HMDS (hexamethyldisizane), DMSDEA (dimethylsilanediethylamine), TMDS (tetramethyldisilazane), TMSDMA ( It can be applied to other silicon-based compounds such as trimethylsilanedimethylamine) and TMSDEA (trimethylsilanediethylamine). Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described wafer W, but can be applied to a processing apparatus that processes another rectangular substrate, for example, an LCD substrate.
[0059]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, since the defect of a board | substrate process can be detected at an early stage, reduction of a bad board | substrate and reuse of a board | substrate are achieved, and production efficiency improves.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a coating and developing apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the coating and developing apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a longitudinal section of a silylation processing apparatus mounted on the coating and developing apparatus.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a gas supply ring.
FIG. 6 is a chemical reaction formula in the case where polyvinyl phenol resin, which is a main component of the resist film, and dimethylsilanedimethylamine as a silylating agent have reacted.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process for detecting a defect.
FIG. 8 is a chemical reaction formula when dimethylsilanedimethylamine reacts with water.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Coating and developing equipment
43 Silylation treatment equipment
132 exhaust port
171 analyzer
D1 Processing control unit
D2 Main control unit
R measured value
H threshold
K silylation processing room
W wafer

Claims (13)

A method for detecting a defect in a substrate processing including a silylation processing of a substrate, the method comprising:
Measuring the content of silicon-based compounds in the gas generated from the substrate during the silylation process;
Comparing the measured content of the silicon-based compound with a predetermined threshold of the content of the silicon-based compound. A method for detecting a defect in a substrate processing including a silylation processing of a substrate, the method comprising:
Measuring the content of a predetermined component other than the silicon compound in the gas generated from the substrate during the silylation process;
Comparing the measured content of the predetermined component with a predetermined threshold value of the content of the predetermined component. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined component is an amine compound. 4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of changing a processing condition of the substrate processing based on a comparison result between the measured content rate and a threshold value. Defect detection method. The silylation treatment includes a heating step of heating the substrate before supplying the silylation gas to the substrate.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the processing condition to be changed is a heating time of the heating step. The silylation treatment includes a decompression step of maintaining the substrate in a reduced pressure atmosphere before supplying a silylation gas to the substrate.
6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the processing condition to be changed is a reduced pressure in the pressure reducing step. A processing apparatus for processing a substrate,
A silylation processing chamber where the silylation processing of the substrate is performed;
A pipe for collecting gas generated from the substrate being processed in the silylation processing chamber,
A measuring device for measuring the content of a predetermined component in the gas collected by the pipe,
A processing unit for comparing the measured content of the predetermined component with a preset threshold of the content of the predetermined component. 8. The processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a processing condition change control unit that changes a processing condition of the substrate based on a comparison result of the comparison unit. 9. The processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processing condition change control unit changes the processing condition of the substrate when the content of the silicon-based compound in the gas is higher than a threshold value. 9. The processing condition change controller according to claim 8, wherein the processing condition change control unit changes the processing condition of the substrate when the content of a predetermined component other than the silicon-based compound in the gas is lower than a threshold value. Processing equipment. The processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined component other than the silicon-based compound is an amine-based compound. 12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the processing condition change control unit can change a heating time of the heating of the substrate performed before the silylation gas is supplied to the substrate. Processing equipment. 13. The processing condition change control unit can change a reduced pressure of the reduced pressure of the silylation processing chamber that is performed before the silylation gas is supplied to the substrate. A processing device according to any one of the above.

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